Chimney assembly for miners&#39; safety lamps



Sept. 2, 1952 CHIMNEY ASSEMBLY FOR MINERS SAFETY LAMPS Filed Dec. 20, 1948 WHEAT ET AL 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Sept. 2, 1952 G. WHEAT ETAL CHIMNEY ASSEMBLY FOR MINERS' SAFETY LAMPS Filed Dec. 20, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Patented Sept. 2, 1952 CHIMNEY ASSEMBLY FOR NHNERS SAFETY LAMPS Grant Whcatand Arthur G. Davis, Marlboro, Mass, assignors to Koehler Manufacturing Company, Marlboro, Mass., a corporation of v Massachusetts fAppiicationillecember 20, 1948, Serial No. 66,353, Y i

This invention relates to miners lamps; of; the

typencommon y referred to as safety, flame m s-f" In general, such a lamp includes; a mum for holding a supply; of kerosene, or'othe'r liquid fuel;

a burner of the wicktype; a substantially nonbreakable glass chimney encircling the Wick; a bonnet above the chimneyf r dome'top abovejthe bonnet; and means for holding I these parts togetherin their assembled relationship.

'Thepresentinvention aims to improve lamp striicturesjof this type with'a view to facilitating the servicing and maintaining operations, devising' aconstructionwhich-will be simpler and more economical"to manufactura andone that will bef' more' convenient to use. A Lamps of this type customarily are equipped with a spark igniter whichis operated by hand.

The usual constructions have been relatively curnbersome occupy considerable space in the iountrand are difiicult toremove. It is one of the obiects of; the present invention, therefore, to devise a, construction in which these objectionable characteristics will be eliminated.

' The nature of the invention will be readily understood from the following description'when j ,l Claim. (01440-1 read in connection Withthe accompanying. draw ings, and the-novel features will'be particularly -In* th e drawings,

ig. '1. isa vertical, sectional View, partly v in pointed out inthe appended claim.

elevation; of tho separts of a lamp structure with which? this; invention: is more especially concerned;

Fig. 2' is a' pl an view of the iount with the burner andigniter in place; s

V Fig. 3 is an exploded view of a novel form of igniter provided by this invention; 1

I Fig. 4 is a vertical, sectional view through the fount, showing the manner in which the igniter is supported in it; 7 v 1 Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a part of thetop plate of. the fount; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a small portion of the top ring and the edge of the dome plate.

ltef erring first to Fig, 1, the lamp structure there shown comprises'a fount 2 which may be iof'the usual construction. Il3 is provided with an integral annular neck 3 rising fromits top and this neck is slotted at several points, some i u threaded plug lS,'Fig. 2. Servicing or" the lamp 1 includes, inaddition to refilling; the -cl'eaningof the "chimney 5, the bonnetandcones, and the -of which are shown atl, for the passageof air therethrough ;Resting on the fount inside of the-neck is an air admission ring 5, which may alsqbe of theusual form, and it is shaped to prooperations. The fountfisfille'd througnanppem As shown; each o ftheserodsis" provided w h and the lower end of the chimney. On lb;

this chimney is another ring S carryinga;tg'asket 9. fI'he flanged lower endoi the inner galuze cone It rests on this ring 8 whilethe flanged and cupped lower endof the outer gauze'cone "I2 is seatedjon the fiangeof the innercone'; I

Surrounding these cones is a bonnet I tresting at its lower end on a middle ring |4 similar't'o thos usedfheretoforaand supported on the top 'oi'this bonnet is a top ring Hijboth'of the rings it andjlii having numerous h'oles for the passage of air'therethrough. At the extreme'topof the lamp structure is .a dome top l6, covering the slotted head positioned,in a countersun f med n the lower e'o he e kf i 2. whieh s i c hl'ea e 1 he n 34. 1 O i-V series of tubes 2|, each encircling a portion of one of the rods I8,- is interposedfbetween the lock ring and the middle ring' M where they space these two elements apart. Theniiddle and'top rings are spaced apart by the bonnet l3, 'Above the bonnet several shorttubesj2 encircle-the upper portions of the respective rods I8 and space the dome top It frornthe top rin'g l5 by a distance ample to provide ventilation. Nuts' 23, threaded on the upper ends-of the rods I8 serve, when turned up, to tighten the parts'of the entire bonnet and frame assembly rigidly together. Between the middle ring it and the adjacent flange of the outer cone l2, aspring ring or expansion "ring Etis inserted where it serves to compensate for any expansion or contraction of the parts due to changes in temperature and to maintain the joints in the assembly tight. v

Ifhis construction simplifies the superstructure of the lamp, makes it'more reliable and less likely to get out oforder, and it provides a very rigid top unit convenientto handle in unscrewing the fountfrom it; as is necessary inconnection with the frequent refilling and other maintenance.

ing infits top normally closedfby the screwinspection and cleaning of the wick and the igniter. In reeassemblingjtheparts after cleaning, the bolts is are checked to be sure that they 3 are tight, and the fact that there are only five of these bolts, as compared to a much larger number required in prior constructions, plus the further fact that the chief inspection of them consists .in trying them with a screwdriver at the bottom ofthe ring 26 in order to see if they are tight, reduces the work involved and eliminates some of the opportunities for error of inspection. v

It should be noted that the heads of the bolts l8 are concealed within the rings 20 when the assembly is in its normal or operative-condition, which protects them against tampering. How ever, when the fount is removed these screws are readily accessible so that they can be tightened in connection with the matter of replacing the parts after the routine cleaning operation has been performed. Each of the nuts 23 at the upper ends of the bolts is seated in a depression or isocket formed inthe dometop l E which prevents lthe'inut "fromlrotating. g I milesometype oflock usually is provided to zpreventvthe separation of the'lamp top from the fount, .thetpresentrinvention does not interfere in any way with the use of any of the common forms. of lockingdevices and none, therefore, has been illustrated in this application.

As aboveindicated, a'further feature of this invention resides in the mounting of the igniter.

,eirtendsthrough the body of the fount and is, sealed atopposite ends to the top .and bottom go fgthelatter v It is desirable to have the igniter oc'upyra position no higher than the burner 24 .vvhenthe lampis in operation and, consequently,

tit isnecessaryinlighting the lamp to raise theigrliter. into such a position that the spark pro- Iduced'by the operation of the latter will be on ,approximatelyalevel withthe top of the wick w, .Fig 2. A port d,'Fig. 4, isnformed in the side of the igniterholder-25 through which the flash is -directedacrossthetop of the wick. At the same time-ibis important to beable to remove the igniter readily -for cleaning, .replacement, or repairs, and it -is absolutely essential that there .shall .be no leakage of air from the outside through the. ignitenor around-its operating .elevment.

To satisfy these requirements the ignitersupport or body 25 is provided with anintegralstem which extends down into the upper .hollow end of ithetreceiver 2'1. This stem comprisestwo flatsided bosses Hand 29 spacedapart by an inter- .mediatecylindrical part 30. A shaft 3!, which by cam. action operates the friction wheel shaft, extends through the body and the stem and terminates.at.its lower vendin a threaded section .32 to receive the operating knob 33. A coiled .spring- 34 encircles theshaft 3i when-the parts are in their operative, positions, as shown in Fig. 4, and'it abuts at its upper end against the shoulder in the receiver 21 and at its lower end against the inner end of the knob. Consequently, this spring normally holds the igniter in its flowered position where the body 25 rests on the upper plate, 'of the fount. Y

ifmope'ra'tmgthe igniter the knob 33 is turned eratesthrough the energystored in its by the previous rotation of it to give the disc a quick rotative movement in the opposite direction, which operates by its contact with the flint or pyroelement b to produce the flash that lights the '10 Lwick. Prior to operating the knob 33 it has beenpushed upwardly, carrying the igniter up with it, and the knob is released immediately vafter the flash has occurred, whereupon the springj'34. .returns the knob and the igniter to their-originalpositions.

During the upward movement of the knob and the igniterthe boss 28 slides through a hole 35 in-thetop plate of the fount, and this hole is of such shape and dimensions as to fit snugly .around. the boss 28 with .a suitable operating elearance. The boss -29Tisof the same peripheral shape and dimensions as the boss-28, and .it serves as av stop to engage the top plate of Ithefount andso limit the upward movementof the'igniterthat such movement will be arrested .whenthe igniteri is in' the correct position to light the. wick. It may here be observed that the ,igniter support25, the bosses 28 and 29, and the intermediate member 30, are all coaxial with the 30 shaft 3|, and the curved surfaces of the bosses are concentric with those of the parts 25 and 30. Occasionally it is necessary to remove the-ig- -niter from the fount and this operation can be .performed by turning the knob 33 counter-clock- 35 wise and thereby unscrewing it fromtheshaft 3|,

after which the igniter body can be lifted until the-boss 29 strikes the bottom of the top plate of the fount. Then bycgiving it a quarter turn in a counter-clockwise direction the lower boss 29 40.11:. brought into theproper position to pass preventing the igniterfrom falling out of the fo'unt if the lamp should be turned upside down ,at'a time when-the knob 33 has been removed.

In replacing the igniter the'lower boss 29 1s fitted in the'h'ole 35 and drops down until the shoulder on the bottom of the boss 28 strikes the topplate, of the fount. Then the igniter isturned ina clockwise direction until the upper bossregiste'rs completely with the hole and drops-intoit.

. Thus it will be observed that in order to remove the igniterfrom the fount, it is necessary not only to remove the knobbut also torproduce-bothslidable and rotative movements, of predetermined degree, of the igniterbody in order to effect its jrelease. It'should be observed that the flat on-the boss '28 is at right anglesto the axis of the igniter tube 0, while the fiat on the lower boss-29 is parallel with thataxis. Theiflat in thelhole 35 at right angles to the axis of the tube when the igniterjis in its operative position, as shown-in Consequently, if the operating knob should bejremoved with the rest of the lampstill assembled and'lighted, it would be impossible-to i aisetheji'gniter far. enough to free -it from the hole 35 ,;Al'so,'jthe rotative-movement of the ig- 7' niter 'ess'ential'to its removal would be prevented .by the ig'hiter tubestriking the'inner wallofthe glass chimney 6. This will beclearlyseenfrom an inspection ofFig. 2. Such acondition isimportant'becauselif the 7 :ignitericould be. pushed up 'out of the vfount merely by removing the knob, a hole would be provided through which surrounding air and gases could flow into the wick chamber inside the chimney 6, and if these gases were combustible, an explosion might be produced.

A further provision made for the purpose of preventing the entrance of combustible gases into the lamp consists in providing the restriction 36 in the bore of the tubular receiver 21. That is, this bore is so restricted immediately above the spring 34 that it closely encircles the shaft 3| and prevents any appreciable leakage of gases around this operating element for the igniter and into the wick chamber.

While we have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of our invention, it is contemplated that the invention may b embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.

Having thus described our invention, what we desire to claim as new is:

In a miners safety lamp; a fount having an externally threaded flange set inwardly from its upper marginal edge, a lock ring in threaded engagement with said flange and having bolt sockets in its under face and bolt openings extending vertically from said sockets, said lock ring being adapted to have its under face seated upon the upper marginal edge of said fount to close said socket openings, transverse air ports formed in the bottom of said flange, an air admission ring seating on said fount inward of said flange, said ring being formed with a lateral annular shoulder, a chimney supported on said shoulder, a gauze cone supported on the top of said chimney having an outwardly flanged bottom portion, a

perforated ring supported upon said cone shoulder, the perforations in said ring being vertically aligned with the bolt openings in said lock ring, a hood supported on said ring outwardly of said perforations, a top ring on said hood, and a dome formed with perforations aligned with the perforations in said first ring and said lock ring, said dome being depressed adjacent its perforations to form nut shrouds, bolts having their heads seated in the bolt sockets in said lock ring and extending through said rings and dome, said bolts having associated nuts seated in the shrouds in said dome and adjusted by operation of their heads in said lock ring, and tubular supports of greater diameter than said bolts enclosing exposed portions of the latter, said tubular supports being supported at their lower ends upon said lock ring and having their upper ends in supporting engagement with said perforated ring.

GRANT WHEAT. ARTHUR G. DAVIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 

